Scarlet Sandstorm
by Spunky0ne
Summary: When Ichigo and Tetsuya disappear during a mission deep within Hueco Mundo, Kenpachi, Renji and Byakuya are sent to investigate. Among the spinning sands and amidst horrifying dangers, love blossoms unexpectedly…yaoi, mpreg…Kenpachi/Byakuya/Renji, Grimmjow/Ichigo/Tetsuya.
1. Stripes

**Scarlet Sandstorm**

 **By Spunky0ne**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

 **When Ichigo and Tetsuya disappear during a mission deep within Hueco Mundo, Kenpachi, Renji and Byakuya are sent to investigate. Among the spinning sands and amidst horrifying dangers, love blossoms unexpectedly…yaoi, mpreg…Kenpachi/Byakuya/Renji, Grimmjow/Ichigo/Tetsuya.**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 1: Stripes**

A cool breeze radiated through the newly restored sixth division headquarters as Abarai Renji sat at his desk, glaring down at the papers in front of him and thinking about the beautiful raven-haired man who was his taicho. Byakuya's desk stood across the room, meticulously clean and orderly, only missing the presence of its equally clean and orderly owner. Renji's own desk was a mess of scattered papers, a report on quincy fighting remnants spotted in the hollow world, supply requisitions, a request for a healer to assist on a planned mission, accompanied by Byakuya's note that the mission was being transferred to Urahara Kisuke, and that Ichigo would be going, along with Kuchiki Tetsuya, recently named fukutaicho of the fourth division.

 _Elders from both the Kuchiki and Shiba families were pressuring Ichigo and Tetsuya to choose wives to marry, and neither one is interested in women. Taicho was nearly desperate to protect his cousin from having to marry against his will, but the elders wouldn't back down, so I think he sent the two on this mission to kind of protect both of them. Their job is to investigate rumors of quincy activity in the hollow world. Jeez, that's a twisty mess too. I hope they're okay._

 _Maybe I'm glad I only have eyes for a guy who will never in this fucking life notice me. Huh, there's no way those stuffy, windbag elders are gonna have anything to say about this Rukon dog's future._

 _Although_ , Renji thought, glancing at his missing superior's desk, _I guess I would heel pretty quickly if it was my lovely moon doing the calling. Not that he ever would._

He glanced at Byakuya's perfectly orderly desk again.

 _He's still like that, if you look at the surface, but when I was fighting alongside Taicho in the war, I saw a new, grittier, more determined man than the one I used to know. Before the quincy war, his fighting style was cold and impersonal, kinda like he was. But it was after we fought the fullbringers in Karakura Town that I started to notice a difference. There was a light that came into him when we trained, one that stayed with him when we fought. That light was almost extinguished when the quincies appeared and As Nodt had his way with Taicho._

 _I thought for a little while that he was dead. While I was lying in the infirmary, recovering, and no one would tell me anything. I tried to imagine my world with no moon, and I couldn't see it. He just had to be there. I've loved this man forever, even when I was sure I hated him. He's been the light that I drink to stay alive. I treasure the fact that I live or die on his order._

 _I have a million ways I'd like to show him my gratitude._

But just as he started to descend into a beautiful daydream of the two of them, his missing Taicho's powerful reiatsu appeared outside the sixth division door. Renji managed to shift the papers on his desk into a more controlled pile as the door opened and Byakuya entered the room, not so surprisingly followed by the massive, fight-loving and irreverent eleventh division taicho.

 _My former taicho._

 _I had a crush on him for a long time, but for very different reasons than the ones that make me love Taicho. He's lower Rukon, like me…grew up wild in a world determined to kill him. If Byakuya is the pale, peaceful white moon, then Zaraki taicho is the blood moon. Strangely, even though they usually act like they hate each other and want to fight to the death, there are some definite sparks there. Kenpachi got a sweet taste of fighting Taicho while the two were trapped in Hueco Mundo, waiting for the outcome of the Aizen conflict._

 _That was an amazing fight_ , Renji sighed, resting his face on his hand.

"Abarai, what are you staring at?" Byakuya asked suddenly, snapping his fukutaicho out of his daydream.

"Eh, oh, sorry sir, I was just thinking for a moment."

Byakuya let out a soft huff of breath and gave him a look that told Abarai Renji just how much that little lie had failed. But as the noble started to speak again, Kenpachi smirked and changed the subject.

"So, Byakuya, what do you think the two of us should do about this loiterer who refuses to leave, even when you give him a personal recommendation and the guy could be a taicho, himself, in a second?" the rough-edged taicho chuckled.

Renji felt like objecting to the question, but also felt rather like doing so would leave him standing in between two extremely beautiful, powerful and dangerously horned bulls, who were about to charge at each other. Byakuya gave Kenpachi a dismissive look.

"I would say that leaving to pursue a taicho's position or staying in his current place is a personal decision that he has made with a great deal of reflection," Byakuya answered sedately, his smoky eyes locked fiercely on his Rukongai born comrade's.

 _I think it was actually more of a knee-jerk response to the idea of not having a reason to be so close to him_ , Renji speculated, _Not that Taicho would have a clue about that…_

"I'm happy where I am," Renji said simply, turning his attention back to the papers on his desk, "and besides, Rukia deserved the post in the thirteenth."

"R-right," Kenpachi drawled, giving Renji a look that said he saw right through the redhead's bullshit, and that Byakuya did too, but was too polite to tease him about it.

Renji flinched as he began to say more, but was stopped as a hell butterfly floated into the room and paused in front of Byakuya to deliver its message.

 _Byakuya_ , said Kyoraku's deep voice, _hate to call you back here again and disrupt your morning, but we've received word from Karakura Town that there may be some issue with the pair that went to Hueco Mundo. Please come and see me for a full report._

Renji didn't miss the look of concern on the noble's handsome face.

 _Tetsuya is on his first mission as fukutaicho of the fourth division. He's with Ichigo, but Ichigo gets into a lot of trouble._

"I will be back," Byakuya said, disappearing in a flash step and leaving Kenpachi and Renji alone.

Renji let out a long sigh and turned his attention dutifully back to his work, expecting that, without Byakuya there to entertain him, Kenpachi would leave. He looked up in surprise a moment later when two large hands placed themselves on the edge of Renji's desk, and the towering man leaned over him, studying him with curious green eyes.

"What's goin' on, Renji?" he asked, grinning, "You look a little flustered."

Renji longed to relax with his former leader, but he knew better than to be anything less than professional in Byakuya's own headquarters.

"I don't know what you mean, sir," he replied politely, his teeth gritting slightly in the process of forcing the words out, "I'm just doing the work assigned to me."

"I can see that," Kenpachi said, tilting his head slightly in amusement, "But, I think we both know what…or is it _who_ Abarai Renji'd rather be _doing_?"

"I'm not allowed to be casual in the office, sir," Renji said, trying to focus harder on his work, "But you already know that."

"Yup," Kenpachi agreed, "but the princess is likely to be occupied for awhile, and I think you need to get your frustrations out, so why don't we do that?"

"Huh?" Renji said, frowning, "Get our frustrations out…how? You wanna train?"

"Nope, cause I don't think training is going to help you with that monster erection you're hiding under your desk."

Kenpachi's grin widened and he leaned forward, breathing his suggestion into the tattooed redhead's ear, leaving it blushing.

"You have a death wish?" Renji laughed, "Cause Taicho would kill both of us!"

"Yeah," Kenpachi agreed, patting Renji's desktop suggestively, "but he's gotta catch us first."

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya knelt within a small cave, deep within the hollow world, his blue eyes focused intently on the unconscious man in front of him, and his ears listening carefully as a sandstorm howled outside. His pale hands lit with blue reiatsu, he infused Ichigo's injured body, hoping inwardly that the collapsed Shiba heir would recover and regain consciousness before the sandstorm ended.

 _The quincy who attacked us knew that if he let us go, we were going to go back and report the quincy presence here, and that the forces here are training and preparing for the next chance to invade Soul Society. They aren't planning a direct confrontation, but a series of assassinations that will leave the noble families and Gotei 13 in chaos. We need to get back and head this off!_

 _But we can't go anywhere until the storm ends._

Ichigo shifted slightly and groaned.

"It'll be all right, Ichigo-sama," Tetsuya whispered, continuing the healing infusion, "I will have you back on your feet before the storm ends, then we can get the information we gathered to Sotaicho."

Ichigo groaned again and his golden brown eyes opened.

"Ugh," he muttered weakly, "Wh-what th'hell happened?"

Tetsuya smiled down at him.

"Ichigo-sama was quite impulsive," he explained, "You seemed to forget my ability, and when you saw the quincy guard grab me, you forgot that I can shift from one waterform to another very quickly to either attack or escape. You didn't need to intervene. You only ended up giving away your position to the quincy, and getting hurt."

Ichigo grinned ruefully.

"Ouch. But, you're right, Tetsuya. I forgot that. I'm used to healers being…"

He paused for a moment, blushing at the rudeness of what he had been about to say. Tetsuya gave him a knowing look.

"You made the assumption that because I am a healer, I lack skill as a fighter."

"Sorry, Tetsuya…I," Ichigo began.

"It's all right," Tetsuya assured him, "I think a lot of people make the same mistake."

"But I should know better," Ichigo chided himself, "After all, I know about Unohana taicho. Even before we learned about her history, I knew she was formidable. It's just that I traveled mostly with Hanataro, who isn't really a fighter."

"I told you, it's okay," Tetsuya chuckled, "I won't hold it against you."

"Thanks, Tetsuya," the Shiba heir said gratefully, "for that, and for the healing."

He tried to sit up, but Tetsuya gently pushed him back down again.

"Ichigo-sama, you need to rest and eat. Your reiatsu is still painfully low."

"I'll be okay," Ichigo insisted, sitting up again.

Almost instantly, he groaned and started to sway. Tetsuya captured him gently and laid him on his back.

"Ichigo-sama, it's not good to be reckless while in this situation. We have critical information regarding the quincy encampment, that we need to relay to Sotaicho."

"That's why I need to get on my feet," Ichigo argued.

Tetsuya gave him a disapproving look.

"That is why you need to let me finish healing you, and also rest and eat before attempting to get up," the blue-eyed Kuchiki advised him.

"All right," Ichigo chuckled, brushing the sweat from his forehead, "You win. I'll rest."

"That would make my job much easier," Tetsuya said good naturedly.

Ichigo quieted, his eyes watching Tetsuya as he finished healing one area, then moved on to another.

"So," he said conversationally, "my dad told me that your elders are pressuring you to get married, kinda like they're pressuring me."

Tetsuya smiled and nodded.

"For years, they tried to pretend I didn't exist," he explained, "Well, except to decide that if I wanted to be Byakuya-sama's bodyguard and healer, I had to completely devote myself to that, and so, was not allowed a place in the Gotei 13."

"That's stupid," Ichigo replied, shaking his head in disgust, "I was only just made heir, and I know of plenty of nobles who have important positions in their family and the military."

"I didn't really mind," Tetsuya assured him, "As Byakuya-sama's bodyguard, I did accompany him anyway, even on military missions."

"Really?"

Tetsuya nodded.

"I simply used waterforms so that I was not seen."

"Huh," Ichigo mused, "So, uh…were you there when I fought Byakuya on Sokyoku Hill?"

"I was," Tetsuya affirmed.

"Wow. I had no idea," Ichigo said wonderingly, "I mean, I guess you could have stepped in at any time…or finished me off after."

Tetsuya looked into Ichigo's eyes for a moment, then shook his head firmly.

"No."

"Why's that?" asked the curious Shiba heir, "Weren't you his bodyguard?"

"Yes, but I am also a family member, and I am sworn to obey the command of my leader. It was Byakuya-sama's wish that if you bested him fairly in battle, I must only make sure that he received healing after. I was ordered not to involve myself in the fighting, and not to avenge him if he fell."

"Jeez, that must have been hard."

"It was," Tetsuya agreed, "But I, of all people, know Byakuya-sama well…all of his history, his triumphs and his struggles. I knew his heart wasn't in that fight, but that he felt obligated to see it through."

"I guess I should be glad that you and Byakuya are honorable people," Ichigo said, looking relieved, "Otherwise, things could've come out very different."

He started to say more, but stiffened at the sudden sound of footsteps outside of the cave.

Tetsuya placed himself between the cave entrance and his injured comrade.

"Hey," Ichigo hissed softly, "let me."

"Stay back. I'm not done healing you," Tetsuya whispered back to him.

Tetsuya slid his weapon slowly out of its sheath, creeping towards the cave entrance and listening carefully. He breathed a command to his sword, and instantly, he faded from sight. He positioned himself carefully as a cloaked figure staggered in, out of the storm, stepping in behind the person as they paused, spotting Ichigo. Tetsuya touched his weapon to the person's back warningly.

"Whoa! Whoa, wait!" the intruder snapped, raising his hands and pulling back his hood to reveal a mess of blue hair and a handsome, partially masked face that, at the moment, was scowling.

Ichigo brightened.

"Grimmjow!" he exclaimed, "It's okay, Tetsuya. He's an ally."

Ichigo made a sound of surprise as Tetsuya reappeared, but wearing a deep frown and still holding his sword ready for attack. Grimmjow grinned.

"It's you," he chuckled, "How's it going, sweetheart? It's been awhile."

"What? You two know each other?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes," Tetsuya said in a clipped tone, "I met him while I was accompanying my cousin into Hueco Mundo during the Aizen conflict. I watched your battle."

"Huh? You did?" Ichigo asked, looking confused, "But…"

"Byakuya-sama told me to find you, as he sensed that you had sustained injury," Tetsuya explained. I saw that Orihime-chan was healing you, so I removed Grimmjow-san to a safe area and healed him."

"What? You healed Grimmjow? Why? I mean, I know you're a good person, but…?"

"I am a healer," Tetsuya reminded Ichigo, "I am sworn to heal any injured, regardless of who the being is."

"That's pretty stupid, healing the enemy, so that he can fight you more," Grimmjow scoffed.

"I confined him after…" Tetsuya began.

"Only, I broke the barrier and gave the little cutie, there, some appreciation for the TLC, you know?"

Ichigo scowled.

"You hurt Tetsuya? After he healed you? You r…" he demanded, drawing his own weapon.

"Fuck no!" Grimmjow spat, "I didn't rape the guy."

He gave Ichigo a little smirk and blew Tetsuya a kiss, earning a hateful look from the blue-eyed Kuchiki.

"I just warmed his lips a little," Grimmjow snickered, "I thanked him and I left him there. I didn't hurt him at all."

"If you ever lay hands _or lips_ on me again," Tetsuya snapped aggressively, "you will lose them!"

"Whoa, guys, we're on the same side, okay?" Ichigo said, stepping between the two, "Tetsuya, put your sword away, and Grimmjow, don't piss him off. He's with me."

He heard Tetsuya make a little sound of surprise and Grimmjow snickered again, and a bright flush came over his face.

"I mean…he's not _with me_ , with me. We're on a mission together."

"Great," Grimmjow said, grinning, "what're we doing?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya exited the first division office and stepped out onto the dark street, letting out a huff of piqued breath.

 _Tetsuya's first mission and that Shiba boy already has him in trouble. What was I thinking, recommending that mission to be given to them? Now…_

He let out another unhappy sigh and headed back toward the sixth division, still brooding, but at least looking forward to being in the company of his red-haired fukutaicho again.

 _I was surprised when Renji did not take advantage of the recommendation to obtain the next open tiacho's position, but I suppose he knew that Rukia wanted to lead the thirteenth, in honor of Shiba Kaien and Ukitake Juushiro._

 _Still, was there something else in his decision? He did change in the way he looked at me after I took Gin's blade in my heart to save Rukia. He began to train alongside me, and his motivation increased. I still thought he needed to surpass me, but…then, the quincy conflict changed that. After Sasakibe Chojiro fell, Renji became quietly determined. He was at my back, everywhere I went, and he even defied orders and tried to assist me when I was injured by the quincy As Nodt. Even now, there is something in his reiatsu…in the way he looks at me…even in how he sometimes avoids looking at me._

 _But I dare not go too far down that path._

 _Renji is my fukutaicho and my friend._

 _We might both want something more than that, but I don't know how that would…_

Byakuya paused as he reached the sixth division headquarters, and sensed Renji's riled reiatsu leaking out from within. His lips frowned, then turned into a genuine scowl as he sensed Kenpachi's reaitsu as well.

 _They are…in the office?_

He turned the door handle quietly and slipped inside, shutting the door behind him.

He found himself unable to move or to make a sound as he spotted his fukutaicho, completely naked except for the tie from his uniform, which now covered his eyes. He was splayed out on his back across his desk, with Zaraki Kenpachi positioned between his thighs, thrusting heatedly and running his fingers over the bold, beautiful marking's on the redhead's heaving breast.

"Go ahead," Kenpachi said, his normally rough voice smooth, and sounding oddly close to Byakuya's own, "tell me who your master is."

Renji felt stars flash behind his blindfolded eyes, and he gasped as he began to climax.

"B-byakuya!" he howled, his hips rising off the desk, "Byakuya taicho!"

The two froze as Byakuya's reiatsu flared, alerting them to the presence of the now furious looking sixth division taicho.

"Shit," Kenpachi breathed, pulling the blindfold from over Renji's eyes, which rounded at the sight of his exteremly angry looking taicho.

"Oh my god!" Renji whispered, looking humiliated.

But he was sure that out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flicker of something other than anger in Byakuya's piqued expression. The noble glared hatefully at Kenpachi.

"Get out of my office," he said icily, "And if you ever set foot in this office again, you will either show proper respect for its commander, or you will br thrown out again!"

Renji grabbed the pieces of his uniform and wrangled them back into some semblance of order as the still smirking eleventh divison taicho left. He cleared his throat softly, waiting for Byakuya to say something. But when Byakuya's voice sounded, there was no anger left…only disappointment and a slight edge of bitterness.

"Go and clean yourself up, Abarai," he scolded his fukutaicho, "And no matter what that behemoth tells you next time, do not do something so disgraceful where anyone could walk in and see it."

"Y-yes sir," Renji managed, slinking into the hallway.

He slipped into his quarters and turned his back to the door, sliding down it's length and covering his face.

 _Fuck, that was stupid! What was I thinking? I guess I stopped thinking, because I was so desperate for something to show he's got feelings for me._

 _Now…well, I don't know what now._

 _The way he looked at us._

 _Was he looking at us like that because he wanted me, and it hurt him to see me with Zaraki taicho? Or was he jealous because he likes Zaraki taicho, and I was with him? Damn! I couldn't tell._

Renji opened his door and peeked out, then sucked in a surprised breath at seeing Byakuya standing by his desk, wearing a quiet, sad expression and touching a pale, gloved hand to the place where Renji's naked body had lain.

 _Shit, shit shit!_

 _He does want me, doesn't he?_

 _And now, I really screwed things up!_


	2. Still Waters Run Deep

**Chapter 2: Still Waters Run Deep**

"What are _we_ doing?" Ichigo repeated, scowling, "What do you mean, what are _we_ doing? Tetsuya and I are on a mission right now, and that doesn't involve you."

"How do you figure?" the blue-haired hollow asked, smirking, "Seeing as how you're in hollow territory, that puts you on my turf, and that gives me a say, doesn't it?"

"I suppose it does," Tetsuya said, frowning, "but…"

"Oh, we're on _your_ turf?" Ichigo interrupted, making Tetsuya's frown intensify, "I don't see a crown on your head. So, unless you're the new king of Hueco Mundo or something, I say you've got no right demanding."

"Ichigo, Grimmjow, we…"

"I don't have a right, demanding?" Grimmjow snarled, his blue eyes flaring and his reiatsu bristling, "Would it give me a right in demanding if I knock you on your ass and take it, then? Cause I'll do it."

"Bring it on!"

"Guys…"

"Bring it on, he says," Grimmjow scoffed, glaring at Ichigo, "Your body's so beat up right now, you'd fall over if I tapped you on the shoulder."

"Why don't you give it a try then?" Ichigo challenged him, "See how easy it is when I kick your ass instead."

"You're getting pretty loud," Tetsuya complained, "And your reiatsu…"

"I thought we were on the same side. Isn't that what you told Cutie-pie over there?"

Tetsuya's frown became a dangerous scowl and his blue eyes blazed.

"Don't you _dare_ …!"

"You mean, the _Cutie-pie_ you molested, after he healed your sorry ass when I tore it apart? That _Cutie_ - _pie_ , Grimmjow?"

"Will both of you please stop calling me that!" Tetsuya shouted.

"Oh, you wanna go there, Kurosaki?" Grimmjow steamed.

"It's actually Shiba," Tetsuya interjected.

"I don't care if he's the fucking soul king! He stepped over the line with that…"

"I stepped over the line?" Ichigo snarled, "I think you stepped over the line."

"I think both of you…" Tetsuya began.

"You freaking ran over the line!"

"Don't interrupt Tetsuya! He was talking."

"You both sort of interrupted."

"Whatever!" Grimmjow snapped, "You're in hollow territory now, and I know it better than you do."

"I've been to Hueco Mundo before."

"Oh yeah, and stumbled around all over the place. That doesn't mean you know it!"

"Well, just because you've lived in this shithole, doesn't mean you know every part of it either!"

"Ichigo, you shouldn't insult where a person lives," Tetsuya advised the angry Shiba heir.

"Naw, he's right, Sweetheart," Grimmjow said, giving Tetsuya a wink, "It really is a shithole. There, I didn't call you Cutie-pie that time. Better?"

"Not really."

Will you stop flirting with my boyfriend…"

"Whoa! Cutie-pie is your boyfriend?"

"I am not his boyfriend," Tetsuya said, his scowl returning, "And I'm not your Cutie-pie or Sweetheart either! And if either one of you…"

Ichigo gave Tetsuya a meaningful look.

 _Go along with this. You want him to leave you alone, right?_

"Oh, ho, ho, a little misunderstanding, eh, Ichigo? Did you think you had him charmed? Think again, cause he can't think of you while he's still remembering that savory kiss I planted on him, right Darlin'?"

Tetsuya gave the hollow a savage look.

Grimmjow gave Ichigo a toothy grin.

"You see all of that passion, there, right? He can't resist me."

"Oh, you wanna see passion? Say something stupid like that about him again and…"

"Stop it!" Tetsuya yelled, "Stop fighting over me like a couple of hormone crazed teenagers! I am not Ichigo's boyfriend and I am not attracted to Grimmjow. What I am, is concerned about your antics raising the reiatsu around here and causing us to be found by the…"

All three men stiffened and stared at the partially concealed cave entrance as the barrier that Tetsuya had set to protect them from discovery suddenly shattered.

"Oh…" said Ichigo.

"Shit," breathed Grimmjow, "We're screwed now. Good job, Kurosaki!"

"It's Shiba," Ichigo and Tetsuya said together.

Tetsuya let out a disgusted breath and glared at the other two young men.

"I have an idea," he told them, "but you're going to need to completely trust me."

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji wore a hangdog look and kept his gaze carefully lowered as he exited his quarters and moved swiftly down the hallway to make his superior officer's morning tea. He went through the motions absently, grateful for the fact that he had made Byakuya's tea so many times over the past few years that he could make it perfectly without paying attention. His tortured mind continued to replay the awful moment from the evening before, when Byakuya had walked in on…

 _We were fucking like stupid, oblivious dogs, not caring who saw. I mean, I cared, but I was so damned riled by him. I know he isn't doing it on purpose, but Taicho is driving me crazy. And now, I fucked up so bad, I don't know if I'll ever live it down._

 _There's no running away from this. I have to walk in there and greet him just like I do every day. And he'll probably look at me and say, "Abarai, we need to discuss the consequences of your…actions yesterday." I have to just say "Yes sir," and accept whatever punishment he gives me. He's going to have me cleaning goddamned floors or shining boots. At least he doesn't do anything painful like some of the Taichos do, or weird experiments like that freak, Kurotsuchi._

Renji cringed as the timer beeped, and he filled his and Byakuya's teacups, then carried them down the hallway to the main office.

"Good morning, Taicho," he began, but he broke off as he approached Byakuya's desk and found his taicho uncharacteristically absent.

 _Oh man…_

Renji's already sagging shoulders dropped further and his heart sank.

 _He must be really pissed at me._

"Left without me for the mission, huh?" he sighed, "I guess I can figure out why."

"What are you muttering about, Renji?" Byakuya's voice asked suddenly from behind him.

Renji startled, then yelped as hot tea splashed all over the bare backs of his hands.

"Ow, damn it!" he hissed, dropping the teacups.

He heard Byakuya breathe a soft command, then felt cool reiatsu immediately wrap around his stinging hands.

It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't heard the teacups hit the floor. He watched in surprise as Byakuya's thickened reiatsu carried them to the noble's desk and set them down gently.

"Are you all right, Renji?" Byakuya asked.

Renji felt as though all of the breath had been sucked out of his lungs as he was hit with a sweet, dizzying breath of sakura. Byakuya stood in front of him, looking down at Renji's hands and carefully gathering one in his.

"What're you…?" Renji mused dazedly.

"You've scalded your hands," Byakuya scolded him, Renji thought, almost affectionately, "Let me take care of it."

"I can go to a healer," Renji squeaked awkwardly.

"I don't think you should have to suffer walking over to the fourth and waiting," the noble insisted, "I startled you and caused this. Please, sit down in my chair and let me take care of it."

 _Did fucking Kuchiki Byakuya just ask me to please do something?_

He wasn't sure how he ended up in Byakuya's chair and looking at his hands that were suddenly held in Byakuya's and surrounded with healing green reiatsu.

"Uh…"

"Sit still, Renji."

 _He's called me by my first name like three times in a few minutes._

"I was about to suggest that we should talk about _the incident yesterday_ ," Byakuya said, making Renji stiffen and drop his gaze immediately.

"Right," he sighed, deflating, "Taicho, I'm sorry, really."

"I was not finished, Abarai," Byakuya said sternly, his smooth hands and carefully controlled reiatsu soothing away the pain of the burns on the redhead's hands, "Now, stop looking at the floor like a mongrel who has been beaten by his cruel _master_ , and look at me like a fukutaicho who has made a very humiliating mistake, and understands that his taicho thinks he has probably suffered enough for his transgression."

"Have I?" Renji asked, looking at the noble uncertainly.

Almost immediately, he found himself falling into a swirl of steel grey eyes. His heart skipped painfully in his chest.

"Do you plan to repeat the action that I witnessed?"

"No!" Renji exclaimed, "Hell no! I should never have…"

Byakuya let out a huff of breath and shook his head.

" _That man_ is a barbarian, and he should have known better than to use his position as a taicho to lure you into doing something that you would never usually do."

"W-well, it's not like I gave any objection," Renji admitted, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, only to have Byakuya recapture his hand to continue healing it, "And, you know, Taicho, it's not like you to let me off so easy for something like that. I mean, usually, you'd at least put me on janitorial for awhile or station me in the most boring corner of Hueco Mundo."

"Don't tempt me," the noble warned him, "If…"

"Taicho, please don't take pity on me," Renji pleaded, looking into the noble's dark, troubled eyes, "That'll only make this worse."

"You want to me to sentence you to janitorial duty? Send you to the farthest corner of Hueco Mundo?" Byakuya asked, his lips barely fending off a little smile.

"Ah, not really," Renji answered honestly, "But I don't want you to just go easy on me because you found out I…"

"Stop."

Renji froze, staring at his taicho in complete confusion. Byakuya took a soft breath and let it out again slowly, his hands continuing to cradle Renji's, even as the healing reiatsu faded and it was clear the healing was done.

"We are both adults," the noble said quietly, "and what I witnessed was a very private exchange that was not intended for my eyes."

"Yeah, but we kinda did it…erm… _took that action_ in a place where you could obviously walk in at any moment," Renji argued, "We were disrespectful and careless of our reputations and the reputation of our division."

"If you understand that, then there is nothing I need to teach you by punishing you," Byakuya concluded.

"But, aren't you angry?"

Byakuya tilted his head slightly.

"Is it acceptable for a taicho, or any leader to punish one who transgresses, out of anger?"

"Uh…"

"The only lesson you would learn from that, is that I am a cruel master."

"Eh, Taicho, do you have to keep using that word?" Renji asked, shifting uncomfortably, "It…that…what you heard was just us…"

"I know what you were doing," Byakuya informed him quietly, "and I have to ask you, Renji…"

 _Shit!_

 _He's going to…!_

"Would you really enjoy me treating you like that? Tying you up and being forceful with you?" Byakuya asked, completely derailing the redhead's thoughts.

Renji's jaw dropped and he couldn't make his frozen mouth speak to answer.

"Or did you fantasize that way because you think that I am a cruel lover?"

 _Oh man, how the hell do I answer that?_

 _If I say the wrong thing…if I do the wrong thing…if I move the wrong way, breathe the wrong way…do anything at all the wrong way…fuck!_

Renji took a steadying breath and forced himself to meet Byakuya's gaze squarely.

"I think that you're the most beautiful person I've ever been this close to, and I feel like I'm gonna die if I don't tell you how you're torturing me."

"That does not answer my question at all," Byakuya said in a perfectly serious tone.

"Yeah, I know it doesn't," Renji laughed nervously, "But, you haven't killed me yet…"

"Not yet."

"So, I guess you're not completely disgusted?"

"By you and that animal using my office as your bedroom? Yes, I am disgusted by that," Byakuya answered sternly, "I am not disgusted at the idea of…of being involved with you."

"Huh?" Renji mused, looking back at him in surprise, "you're not? I uh…wasn't even sure you were, you know, interested in guys. You had a wife."

"I am bisexual," Byakuya admitted, surprising the redhead all over again, "I have had several lovers since my wife's passing, both male and female."

"Y-you have?"

"Unlike you and that barbarian, I am discreet about my private life. That is something that you might want to think about before deciding if you wish to approach me about becoming your lover."

Renji's eyes narrowed and he struggled to make his lips move to reply.

"Are you saying you would consider…?"

"I believe I have answered that question already," Byakuya said brusquely, "Now, as your hands are healed and we have a mission to complete, we should leave this for later."

"Oh, yeah, right," Renji stammered, his mind spinning with echoes of what he'd just heard his taicho admit to him.

 _He's had lovers besides Hisana? I never heard that before. He's not kidding, he's discreet. I never saw a sign of anything like that!_

 _Damn!_

 _I guess he doesn't have a lover right now, if he was making comments about me approaching him. It sounds like he wants me to do that. I just wish I knew how to do it the right way._

"Abarai," Byakuya said sharply, snapping the redhead back to attention, "I am speaking to you. Are you hearing me at all?"

Renji wasn't sure what possessed him, making his body lean forward suddenly and his lips touch his scowling superior's tenderly. The next thing he knew, something struck him and he found himself lying on his back on the floor and looking up at the sixth division ceiling.

"Ow!" he grunted.

"I _told_ you not to be inappropriate in this office!" the noble scolded him.

"Sorry," Renji groaned, "Is it okay to kiss you when we get to Karakura Town?"

"No," Byakuya said firmly, "I _never_ kiss on the first date. Now, get up and let's go, Renji."

"Y-yes sir!" the redhead said, wincing as he climbed to his feet.

The two left the sixth division office and headed for the central senkaimon.

"So, what news has come back from Kisuke?" Renji asked, falling back into his normal behavior as the routine of having a mission grounded him again, "Has he heard anything from Tetsuya or Ichigo?"

"No," Byakuya answered, an edge of worry in his voice, "They were in an area that has a lot of unsavory type hollows, transformative types. The quincies don't fear them, as they have their blut to protect them from their bite and effects, so it is an area that they would want to choose if they needed a location we would be less likely to monitor."

"So, you're not just worried about quincies, you're worried about transformative hollow attacks."

Byakuya nodded.

"Tetsuya has a power that will allow him to slow the effects, but he would need to quickly evacuate anyone bitten or scratched by a transformative hollow. If they ran into both…"

"All hell would have broken loose," Renji concluded.

"Yes."

The two passed into the precipice world and headed for Karakura Town.

"There are also lots of sandstorms in that area, and not so many landmarks. The area is poorly mapped, so they may have gotten lost. We will also have to be careful as we enter and search for them."

"Right," Renji agreed.

They reached their exit point and touched down in Kisuke's underground training room, where they found the shopkeeper waiting for them.

"Hey, Byakuya-san, Renji," he greeted them.

"Urahara Kisuke," Byakuya said in a cool, polite tone.

"Hi," Renji said.

"I have the garganta all ready for you," Kisuke told the two, "and I gave the directions to Kenpachi to…"

"You what?" Byakuya asked, scowling and looking around, "Why would you do that? You know that bumbling baboon cannot find his way out of a paper sack!"

"Hey, that's not nice, princess," the eleventh division taicho chided him, dropping down off of the ladder that led into the shop.

"What are you doing here?" Byakuya asked crossly, "You were not placed on this team."

"So, I'm going along anyway," Kenpachi argued, "I'm a taicho. I can decide to join another taicho, if I want, unless I was told not to by Sotaicho…and I wasn't."

"Give me the directions," Byakuya snapped.

"Nope. I've got this."

"I don't know about this," Renji said unhappily.

"Guys, we have a short window for your entry," Kisuke warned them, "The hollow vamps and Ookami seirei follow a relatively predictable schedule, with times of greater and less activity. You want to get in, then set a barrier around you. And when you're out searching, pay attention to where you are. There are a few places marked because they're dangerous. So, watch out for that. Other than that, I think you're ready, so come here and I'll open the door."

"Give me the directions!" Byakuya hissed furiously.

"No way! You'll probably abandon me and let the hollow vamps turn me into one of them. I'm holding on to these."

"Okay, the garganta's set," Kisuke said, opening the doorway into the dark, underground cavern, "You've gotta move now."

"We can finish this later," Kenpachi said, grinning and running into the garganta.

"Kenpachi!" Byakuya called after him, as he followed the other taicho into the garganta.

"Oh man," Renji sighed, following Byakuya, "I have a bad feeling about this…"


	3. Siren

**Chapter 3: Siren**

Tetsuya knelt alone on the cold ground in the center of the cave that the three young men had been using for shelter. He shivered visibly and his fingers clenched the legs of his shihakusho as the steps of the incoming quincies grew louder. He was careful not to look into the shadowed corners, where his shadowy waterforms protected Ichigo and Grimmjow, but kept his eyes lowered to gaze intently at the space in front of him, as the quincies' footsteps grew louder, and they came through the cave entrance.

Tetsuya gasped, and rounded his eyes, putting up his hands defensively as the two stern looking quincies readied their bows and took aim on him.

"I'm a _h-healer_!" Tetsuya exclaimed in a desperate sounding sob, "P-please, don't hurt me."

The two men scowled, moving closer so that the glow from their bows illuminated Tetsuya's comely face.

"What are you doing here alone?" asked the taller of the two, an aged, bespectacled man, who wore a white lab coat.

"I c-came with a reconnaissance group," Tetsuya explained, "There was a terrible sandstorm, and we were attacked by Ookami Seirei! My leader sh-shoved me into this cave and set a barrier, b-but no one ever came back! I think they were all k-killed by the spirit wolves!"

"That's probably true, if they were attacked by a pack of Ookami Seirei," the second quincy, a shorter, dark haired man with pale grey eyes, said, matter-of-factly.

The elder quincy gave Tetsuya an closer look, making Tetsuya blush with its intensity.

"You say you are a healer?" he asked, "Show me your healer's mark."

Tetsuya removed his green medical bag, then extended his right hand, turning it over to reveal the fourth division tattoo on his palm. The elder quincy looked at it closely, then nodded.

"It's legit. He's a healer," the man said.

He gave Tetsuya a look of warning.

"This can go one of two ways," he said sternly, "We need healers, so we are willing to keep you alive to help us in that capacity. In exchange, you will have a limiter that will only allow you healing powers, no fighting abilities. You will be assigned a handler, who will watch you, to make sure that you don't try to escape. Behave yourself, do a good job, and maybe later, as one of our elite, I will claim you as a servant. You'd at least stay alive, and if you make it into an elite household like mine, you wouldn't be too bad off…especially with your looks. Some of the pretty healers end up as comforter servants."

"You should consider it," said the second quincy, "It beats dying."

Tetsuya shivered, but managed a short nod.

"I suppose that, in my situation, I should consider myself lucky," he sighed resignedly, "Thank you for sparing me."

"Do you have a name?"

"T-tetsuya…of the west thirtieth district, Rukongai."

"I am Roald and my comrade is Gavin. We came in search of anything that might be useful to the camp. We're kind of short on supplies, and we know that Aizen Sosuke used to have his forces store supplies in hidden caves and underground bunkers."

"Oh!" Tetsuya said brightly, "There was a bunker near here that had food and stores in it. I could take you there," he offered, "We used it to resupply before we were attacked, but there was plenty still left there."

The dark-haired quincy gave Tetsuya a sharp look.

"You wouldn't be trying to set us up?" he asked accusingly, "Y'know, lying about your group and trying to lead us into a trap or something?"

"No!" Tetsuya said quickly, shaking his head fervently, "I wouldn't do that. I don't want to hurt anyone. I'm really scared by the fighting. Our leader knew that. It's why he put me in here, so I wouldn't have to see the violence, and so that I wouldn't get hurt, myself."

"Geez," Gavin complained, "What a pussy. Why does the Gotei 13 even trouble themselves with someone like you?"

Roald gave the much younger man a gentler look.

"I wonder something like that, myself," he commented, "And why would you be of interest to the Gotei, even as a healer, if you are sensitive to violence? Doesn't healing the men after the battle disturb you also?"

"Oh," Tetsuya said, relaxing slightly, "well, the wounds, I can handle, because I know my healing gift can help them. It's just the fighting that scares me. I suppose that the Gotei 13 appreciates my healing ability enough that they are willing to deal with my broken spirit. I…I watched hollows destroy my hometown at an early age. I was orphaned, and I planned to pursue healing in the Rukongai…but after the war with you quincies, they drafted everyone with any healing ability that they could find."

"Ah," Roald sighed, "now, that makes sense."

He extended a hand in Tetsuya's direction.

"Give me your arm, so that I can put the limiter on you."

"Of course," Tetsuya answered, lowering his head, as though in submission.

With the focus on the healer, the quincies failed to see Grimmjow and Ichigo as they abandoned their waterforms and dove at the unsuspecting quincies. Grimmjow dispatched Gavin with a vicious slash, but as Ichigo swept towards Tetsuya, Roald's eyes widened, and he used his hirenkyaku to position himself behind Tetsuya. He wrapped an arm around his captive's waist and brought a knife that he took form his waist to Tetsuya's vulnerable throat.

"A nice move," he complimented the three, "My unfortunate colleague should have been more aware. I suppose he deserves what he got. I won't hold it against you. I _will_ , however, be taking this one as spoils of war. My apologies to his family."

The elder man and Tetsuya disappeared out of the cave.

"Shit!" yelled Ichigo, "Tetsuya!"

"Damn it!" Grimmjow roared, following Ichigo out of the cave entrance.

The two stood, looking angrily in all directions, but they found no sign of the quincy or the healer.

"Let's go find them!" Ichigo shouted.

We can't," Grimmjow snapped pointing to a huge, thick, spinning maelstrom that had sprung up in the distance, "Sandstorm. There's no way we can go out in that. We have to get inside and we have to wait it out."

"Wait it out!" Ichigo yelled, "What the hell? What about Tetsuya? You heard that old perv and what he said to Tetsuya! He's gonna…!"

"We won't let him hurt Tetsuya," Grimmjow snapped, "but we really can't make a move right now, with that storm coming this way. I'm serious, c'mon. We'll stay in the cave and wait it out, then we'll go after him together."

Ichigo scowled and crossed his arms.

"And what happens when we get him back?" he asked.

Grimmjow shrugged.

"I guess I don't mind sharing. Do you?"

"Pervert!"

"It's what you're thinking too."

"Shut up!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"This is your fault," Byakuya said angrily, "I told you to give me the map, and if you had, then we wouldn't be lost."

"We're not lost exactly," Kenpachi replied, looking around the dark expanse of the desert, "Things just look a little different at night."

" _It's always night out here_ , away from the fortress, you moron!" Byakuya hissed.

"Uh, Taichos?" Renji interjected, looking off into the distance.

"I know it's always night!" Kenpachi shouted back, ignoring Renji completely and moving forward with Byakuya at his side and the redhead following, "I'm sure this is the way, so just shut it and let's go this way."

"Five minutes ago, you said it was the opposite way."

"Eh, guys?" Renji interrupted.

"Not now!" the two taichos snapped.

"But…"

"I am sure I sensed something significant to the east of us," Byakuya insisted.

"No, we go this way!" Kenpachi insisted.

"Um…"

"My senses are never wrong," Byakuya complained, "and yours are never right!"

"Oh, shut up! You don't know any better than I do where we are."

"Of course I do!"

"Oh really?"

"GUYS!"

"What is it, Abarai?" Byakuya said sharply.

"This better be important, or I'm cracking your skull!" Kenpachi added.

"Don't you threaten my fukutaicho!"

"I'll threaten your fuckin' fukutaicho all I want."

"Oh, you think because you were able to lure him into that indecent act, right in our headquarters, you can just…"

"Taicho, really, you guys need to…!" Renji called out anxiously.

"Well, if you were listening, Red really wanted you to be fucking him, but you were too damned blind to notice."

"Perhaps I just don't believe in taking advantage of a love starved subordinate who obviously…"

"Wait, a minute!" Renji complained, "I wasn't…"

"Do you love him or not?" Kenpachi demanded.

"What has that to do with anything right now?" Byakuya said dismissively, "We are lost in a very dangerous area of enemy territory, and it is nearing time when the hollow vamps and Ookami Seirei will be active. We need to be concentrating on that."

"Or maybe we need to be _concentrating_ on the big fucking sandstorm that's coming this way!" Renji shouted over them, "C'mon! We need to get to cover."

"We'll go this way!" Kenpachi shouted over the rising wind.

"No, you fool!" Byakuya snapped, "That's going right into the storm."

"I don't think we have time for this," Renji muttered, squinting as the sand swirled around them, stinging their exposed flesh.

But the two taichos persisted, their voices and reiatsu spiking as the storm came closer.

"FINE!" Kenpachi howled, "You wanna be a fuckin' pain in the ass? I'll knock you out and we'll go my way anyway!"

"Hey, don't!" Renji yelled, stepping in front of Byakuya protectively as the two taichos struck suddenly at each other.

"FUCK!" Kenpachi swore, trying to alter the path of his strike and failing.

Byakuya, too, found it impossible to stop the blast of kido he had released, and he and Kenpachi watched in dismay as their attacks struck the unfortunate redhead and sent him crashing to the sand, swirling even more of it into the already thickly filled air.

"Abarai!" Byakuya called out, flash stepping forward and grabbing his fallen comrade. A moment later, Renji was stolen from his arms.

He started to object, but Kenpachi's voice rumbled in his ear.

"Let me carry him. You lead the way."

Byakuya scowled.

"Oh, _now_ you want me to lead the way," he huffed.

"C'mon, just do it before we get swept away, okay? Renji's hurt. We need to find a place to stop and heal him."

"Fine," Byakuya said shortly, "but when we get out of this and go back home, I am going to _kill_ you for all of this!"

"Great," Kenpachi said, "Can't wait for that. Now, look for someplace for us to go."

The two men quieted and Byakuya extended his reiatsu, seeking a nearby place that might offer them some shelter.

"I believe I sense some formations to the south that should yield something," he informed his colleague, "I also sense less strong enemy reiatsu in that direction. Let's go that way."

Kenpachi nodded and adjusted his hold on Byakuya's unconscious fukutaicho. The two moved closer together and Byakuya raised a reiatsu shield to deflect the sand that tried to fly into their faces. The wind howled around them, and the sand still stung them a little, though they were able to see a short distance through the shield. Time passed slowly and each step was a struggle, but after a time, Byakuya called a halt and pointed towards a dark spot in the distance.

"There!" he called out, "That is the beginning of the formation.

The two stiffened as a wolf's howl sounded somewhere nearby.

"Let's get inside!" Kenpachi shouted.

Byakuya nodded and led the way to the rocks where, after a short search, he located an empty cave of serviceable size and set a reiatsu cage inside to protect them. Kenpachi staggered inside and dropped Renji onto the floor of the cave, then he stood, brushing the dust and sand from his skin, and shaking it out of his hair. He looked over at Byakuya, who was on his knees at Renji's side, and for some reason, looked less wild and dusty than him.

"What the hell?" he mused aloud, "How come you're not so sandy as me?"

Byakuya arched a fine eyebrow.

"Reiatsu control, of course," he answered primly, "You should try it sometime."

"Nice," the bigger man huffed, "but not everyone's all about finesse, you know. It's good to have that, but you also need the power to crush things that come after you. Like that guy was fucked up while fighting in the royal realm."

"That is not a good example," Byakuya pointed out, "Despite our abilities that crushed him repeatedly, he continued to restore himself."

"Heh, I guess you're right," Kenpachi chuckled, kneeling on Renji's other side, "How's Red?"

"Unconscious," Byakuya said, frowning."

"I can see that. How is he?"

"Hmm, it seems to be a concussion and some lacerations. I am healing the cuts now and restoring his reiatsu, but we have to wait to see what happens with the concussion."

"But he'll be okay, right? He's not gonna die on us or anything?"

"Now, you're worried about that?" Byakuya asked dryly, "Your concern would have been more useful _before_ he ended up in this condition."

"Hey, you hit him too, didn't you?" Kenpachi pointed out.

"So, I did," Byakuya admitted, "But the cuts I made are not the problem. You attempting to bash his skull in, is."

"I wasn't trying to bash his skull in. I was trying to bash your in, princess!" the bigger man scoffed.

"Do not attempt to rile me while we are in this environment," Byakuya warned him, "Although the reiatsu cage protects us from immediate trouble of there is a collapse, a very large one would be troublesome."

"To say the least."

The two went silent, Kenpachi's green eyes watching closely as Byakuya worked gently at healing his subordinate's wounds.

"So, it's going to be boring, sitting here for kami knows how long, waiting for that storm to end and for him to wake up. We should talk."

"I do not think that is a very good idea," Byakuya said shortly, "That is what ended up with Renji being hurt."

"Well, he shoulda stayed outta the way."

"He was trying to warn us about the sandstorm, you fool."

"Hey, you weren't listening any better than I was, at the time."

"I suppose I wasn't. I let you get to me and make me angry."

"I do that sometimes. I kinda like fighting with you."

"I know," Byakuya sighed.

Kenpachi coughed and cleared his throat.

"So, back to my question from before," he went on, "Do you love him?"

"Me?" Byakuya mused, "Do I love Renji?"

"Yeah, that's what I asked…twice. Do you love him or not?"

"What makes you so curious?" the noble inquired, "Are you attached because when he was too afraid to approach me, he turned to you for sex?"

Kenpachi shrugged.

"I'd miss it. Yeah. He's a lot of fun, when he isn't pining over you."

"But you do not love Renji?"

"I asked you first," Kenpachi said, narrowing his eyes.

"We are not children," Byakuya chided him, "Answer the question. Do _you_ love Renji?"

"Course I do. But, I know he's got the hots for you, so what we have is probably only temporary."

"Why would that be?" Byakuya asked.

"Well, because now you know he loves you, so you're going to decide what you think, and if you love him, it's off to races, and I'll be waving to the two of you as you go. Unless you like threesomes."

"Hmm, they are not exactly condoned by the elders."

"I figured. So, you see, you need to make up your fuckin' mind and make your decision. If you want him, I'll deal with it. If you don't, then I'll take care of him. Renji and I are pack. We do that."

"Pack?" Byakuya repeated, frowning, "What in the world are you talking about?"

"You wanna know? First, you tell me if you love him." Kenpachi said firmly.

Byakuya looked closely at the unconscious man between him.

"Very well. Yes, I do," he answered, "Now, you tell me. What is this _pack_?"


End file.
